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Beat the Rap!

NOISE ~ PARKING ~ PARTIES ~ OPEN CONTAINERS ~ PUBLIC INDECENCY

FRONT PORCHES ~ UNDERAGE CONSUMPTION

We asked our Team Patrol (an officer from The University of Toledo’s Police Department
and an officer from the City of
Toledo Police Department), Unit 618, to put together a list of city and state laws
that students are most often cited for. If you don’t
know the laws it can cost you! Here are some of the most frequent reasons students
are issued citations.

Noise– The City of Toledo has a noise ordinance. You are violating the ordinance if your
noise is “unnecessary, excessive or any offensive noise which annoys and/or disturbs
the comfort, health, peace of safety of others.”

Most of the time the “offensive noise” is yelling or loud music late at night.

Unless your neighbors are students, they probably go to bed earlier than you, may
have to get up for work early the next day, may
have children who need to get sleep, etc., etc. If the sound from your house or apartment
can be clearly heard several yards away, someone
is likely to be disturbed by it. Keep control of your guests (inside and outside)
and keep the music/TV turned down after nine at night. A
little bit of consideration for your neighbors really does go a long way. Toledo Municipal Code (TMC) 507-03 and 507-04

Parking– Make sure you park on the right—not the left—side of the street (unless it is
a one-way street).

Be sure you’re not parked within ten feet of a fire hydrant.

When you park, make certain you are not blocking a crosswalk. In fact, the law states
you can’t “stand or park a
vehicle within twenty feet of a crosswalk.”

Keep your cars out of the front yard – no parking permitted. Also make certain you’re
not parked across a
sidewalk.

If you park on the street, do not leave your car for more than 18 hours. TMC 351.07

Parties– Have fun, but keep control of yourself and your guests if you own or rent the property
and/or host the party. Things to remember:

Charging your guests at the door when alcohol is present is not legal.

If you rent, you are liable for damages to the property that occur during your party.
You could even be evicted.

You, as the renter, owner or host, are responsible for everyone at your party and
their actions. If someone is in a fight, for
example, and someone is injured, you could be sued. If they drive away and are involved
in an accident, you could be sued by everyone
involved.

If underage drinkers are caught, the minimum fine is $500 and you could be arrested.

If you are caught serving alcohol to an underage person, you face a maximum penalty
of six months in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.

You cannot even allow an underage person to remain in your house or apartment if they
are in possession or drinking beer or
liquor. TMC 331.43, Ohio Revised Code (ORC) 4301.632, ORC 4399.09

Beginning August 9, 2000, anyone buying at least five kegs of beer won’t be able to
pick it up for five days and the buyer
will have to complete forms issued by the Ohio Department of Public Safety.

The person buying the beer must promise that none of it will be given to anyone younger
than 21 and identify the person
responsible for the party. The paperwork will be filed with the beer distributor.

Open Containers– Not permitted out in public or in a motor vehicle—whether you are a
passenger or driving—whether you are moving or parked. TMC 331.43

Public Indecency– Just so there is no confusion as to what can get you in trouble, keep your
private parts in private—not where others can see them. That means do not go to the
bathroom outside—go to the bathroom in the
bathroom. And no naked hot-tubbing outside!

One should never engage in any kind of sexual activity outside where others might
happen to observe it. TMC 533.07

Front Porches– Sometimes people place couches on their front porch, maybe for comfort or extra
seating. There is a law against this. We have had incidents in the past of someone
flicking a lit cigarette onto a couch which caused a house
fire. Plus rodents and other multi-legged creatures will very quickly take up residence
in the furniture.

Under 21– You cannot buy alcohol and you cannot consume it!!! You are also prohibited by law
from
presenting a fake ID to try to buy it. Anyone who is 21 or older and buys it for you
is violating the law. ORC 4301.632 and 4399.09